WASHINGTON -- In a report that is expected to fuel ongoing
criticism surrounding the Internal Revenue Service, The
Washington Post is stating the federal agency spent some $49 million on conferences
for employees over a three-year period.

The news organization is citing an audit report prepared
by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration that points to
spending by the IRS on more than 220 conferences starting in fiscal year 2010.
The report is expected to come out on Tuesday.

IRS Acting Commissioner Daniel Werfel commented on the
report Friday without going into details. According to the newspaper, Werfel
said the IRS has reduced conference expenditures in recent years, but he called the
spotlighted spending "an unfortunate vestige from a prior era."

The IRS has been facing intense scrutiny in past weeks
over the agency targeting conservative groups, including the Tea Party. The
agency's acting commissioner at the time, Steven Miller, resigned amid the
controversy that continues to be the focus of government investigations.

The new audit report examines an August 2010 conference
in Southern California that cost about $4.1 million, with about $3.2 million
coming from unused funds from the IRS' enforcement budget, according to The
Washington Post.

In the latest video to come to light from the agency, produced
for the Anaheim, Calif., conference, employees are learning to dance to the
Cupid Shuffle, a song by Cupid. Already the agency came under fire for spending
more than $60,000 for parody videos of "Star Trek" and "Gilligan's Island."

The Cupid Shuffle video that cost about $1,600 was "unacceptable
and an inappropriate use of government funds," the agency said in a statement,
according to the Associated Press.

In other spending at the conference, two keynote speakers
received more than $44,000 in appearance fees, in addition to thousands more in
first-class travel expenses, according to The Washington Post.

One speaker talked about art influencing leadership, and
painted at least six paintings with two given to employees in the audience, the
paper wrote, citing sources familiar with the situation.

Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus is
among the latest to attack President Obama over the agency's actions, alleging
his involvement in the matter.

"Will anyone take responsibility for the IRS scandal?
When will we hear the whole truth?" Priebus wrote in a column published
today by RealClearPolitics.
"And will the president ever admit to creating a culture of hostility toward
conservative groups?"